The Lion’s Share: A History Of British Imperialism 1850 To The Present

379 Pages·2021·22.267 MB·English

by  Bernard Porter

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The Lion s Share
Updated to incorporate a substantial new epilogue considering Brexit and its ‘imperial’
implications, the sixth edition of The Lion’s Share remains an essential introduction to
British imperialism from its Victorian heyday to the present.
Well-knownforitsvigorousandreadablestyle,thisbookpresentsabroadnarrativeof
events and explores a number of general themes, challenging more conventional and
popular interpretations of British imperialism, as well as the simplistic ‘for’ and ‘against’
arguments put forward in today’s ‘history wars’. Bernard Porter sees imperialism as a
symptom not of Britain’sstrength in the world, but of her decline,and he argues thatthe
empire itself both aggravated and obscured deep-seated malaise in the British economy.
This sixth edition includes a final epilogue that engages with what Brexit means for
British Imperial History, and whether it represents an extension of or final conclusion to
Britain’s Imperial Career. In so doing, the book offers readers a thorough understanding
ofthehistoryofBritishimperialismanditsheritage,extendingrightintothepresentday.
Supported by maps, images and an updated chronology, The Lion’s Share is the perfect
resource for both students and those interested in British and Imperial History from the
Victorianeratothemodernday.
Bernard Porter is Emeritus Professor of Modern History at the University of Newcastle
upon Tyne, UK. He has also taught at the Universities of Cambridge and Hull, and (as
Visiting Professor) at Yale, Sydney and Copenhagen Universities. He is the author of ten
books and many articles on a range of subjects, including British imperial history, the
history of political refugees in Britain, secret policing, British attitudes to Europe, and
Victorian architecture. His The Absent-Minded Imperialists (2004) won an American
literary prize.Hehasalso contributedto theGuardian,the LondonReviewof Books,the
Times Literary Supplement, and History Today. He lives in Stockholm and Hull.

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The Lion s Share
A History of British Imperialism 1850 to the
Present
Sixth edition
Bernard Porter
Sixth edition published 2021
by Routledge
2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Routledge
52 Vanderbilt Avenue, New York, NY 10017
Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor & Francis Group, an informa business
© 2021 Bernard Porter
The right of Bernard Porter to be identified as author of this work has been asserted by
him in accordance with sections 77 and 78 of the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act
1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any
form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented,
including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system,
without permission in writing from the publishers.
Trademark notice: Product or corporate names may be trademarks or registered
trademarks, and are used only for identification and explanation without intent to
infringe.
[First edition published by Pearson Education Limited 1975]
[Fifth edition published by Pearson Education Limited 2012]
British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A catalog record has been requested for this book
ISBN: 978-0-367-42699-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-42698-9 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-0-367-85450-8 (ebk)
Typeset in Sabon
by Taylor & Francis Books
Dedicated to those – or their memory – who set me on the path to
becoming a historian and a scholar in my early years: Cyril Porter; W. R.
Powell; Alan Mould; Peter Watkins; W. E. ‘Spud’ Barron; John Roach;
and R. E. ‘Robbie’ Robinson

Contents
List of illustrations xi
Preface to the sixth edition xiv
Preface to the fifth edition xv
Chronology xxi
1 Introduction 1
Definitions 1
Differences 5
Difficulties 8
2 An empire in all but name: The mid-nineteenth century 10
The world market 10
Creeping colonialism 15
The old empire 19
Native policy 25
Cultural imperialism 30
3 Shifts and expedients: 1857–75 34
The Indian ‘Mutiny’ 35
After the Mutiny 41
Colonial crises: settlement colonies 48
Colonial crises: tropical colonies 56
The vanguard 60
The opening up of Africa 63
4 Conquests forced on us: 1875–90: The European challenge 70
India’s frontiers and Russian expansion 76
The occupation of Egypt 80
The first Boer War 83
German rivalry in the tropics 88
Reluctant imperialists 96
viii Contents
5 Struggles for existence: 1890: Britain under siege 104
The ‘new imperialism’ 111
The national interest 117
Capitalists 122
6 A limited area of heather alight: 1890–1905 129
Britain in Asia 129
The Nile valley 135
West Africa 138
South Africa: the second Boer War 139
Native policy 147
‘Constructive imperialism’ 154
Reaction 157
7 An essential compromise: 1905–14 163
The empire in 1905 163
The Liberals 169
South African union 172
Egypt and India: Morley–Minto 175
Tropical development 180
Nationalists and imperialists 184
8 Everything becomes fluid: 1914–20 191
The Great War 191
The promises: India, the Middle East 194
The peace 199
The aftermath: Ireland, India, the Middle East 203
Imperial morale, 1920 206
9 Difficult times: 1920–39 210
Recovery through empire 210
The Dominions 214
A new Dominion? Rhodesia, Kenya, Palestine 216
Tropical development 221
The problems of imperialists 224
The problems of the anti-imperialists 227
Egypt and India 233
An empire still 236
Contents ix
10 Moving quickly: 1939–70 241
The Second World War 241
Labour’s empire 246
The transfer of power in India 250
The nationalist challenge 253
The Conservatives’ empire, 1951–59 256
The wind of change, 1960–70 261
The response 264
11 A sudden shift: 1970–95 271
The remains 271
The results 272
The residue 277
Retrospect 286
12 Coming out of the closet: circa 2000 292
An American empire? 292
A new British imperialism? 296
History and empire 303
13 After-image 309
Forgotten 309
Recalled 310
Misunderstood 313
Appraised 316
14 Epilogue: Brexit and the empire 320
Further reading 335
General surveys 335
Trade, investment and empire 336
Emigration and ‘diaspora’ 336
Travel, exploration, missions and empire 336
Imperial ideology 336
The self-governing dominions 337
India 337
Mid-Victorian colonialism and its crises (excluding India) 337
Africa: later nineteenth century 337
The South African War 337
The empire and the Great War 338
Colonial government 338
Culture and empire 339